Indian Shooter Udhayveer Sidhu Wins First Senior World Cup Gold in Cairo

Udhayveer Sidhu won his maiden senior World Cup title in the 10m air pistol event in Cairo by edging out his childhood idol, Olympic champion Christian Reitz. The final featured elite shooters including Paris Olympic bronze medallist Paolo Monna and mixed team silver medallist Yusuf Dikec. Udhayveer recovered from slipping to the sixth spot after the second series by shooting consistently while other competitors faltered. He trailed Reitz by just 0.3 points before the final two shots, where he fired a 10.2 while the German managed a 9.6. He secured the victory with a 9.8 on his final shot against Reitz's 9.6.

Background

Growing up in Mansa, Punjab, Udhayveer and his twin brother Vijayveer initially practised on a single 10m air pistol bought by their father, Gurpreet Singh Sidhu, for Rs 130,000 in 2013. After losing their father to an illness in 2017, the brothers continued to excel in the junior shooting circuit, winning multiple world championship titles before advancing to the senior national team. Coach Jelena Arunovic praised Udhayveer's tactical maturity in applying rapid-fire pistol practices to the air pistol event.

Context

The ISSF World Cup brings together top international sport shooters to compete in pistol, rifle, and shotgun disciplines. Success at this level requires immense mental discipline, precision, and the ability to handle extreme pressure during elimination rounds.